It was August 31st, a Monday morning, when the visits were to come to a close.
The children were in better spirits than they had been before when they had started the visits initially.
Their moods were visibly brightened and it felt lighter than it did in the last month.
A month without Smith. They hadn't experienced that month until it really hit Will in the gut and the Robot did more than try to make up for it. It made Don wonder if the Robot had become sapient. One time when he was walking right past them, the major could have swore that he was hearing the doctor rather than the Robot until making a turn and spotted the two collecting rocks. The episodes had ended since the visits had started but Don felt they could start, again.
Now that Don was thinking of it.
The Robot was nailing Doctor Smith when it came to emulating him.
"Today is the day," Will said. "Doctor Smith is going to be back to his old self in no time!"
Don snorted, shaking his head, leaning against the side of his cabin.
"It takes one day at a time to go back to where someone used to be," Don said. "They can't rush healing like that."
Will nodded, his hands linked behind his back, then gazed toward the cabin that the doctor had typically used.
"You can't rush someone like him," Will said. "Remember that one time when you tried to rush him."
"Yes," Don said. "I do," he had a fond smile looking off. "What was I rushing him on then?"
Maureen exited Smith's cabin with a folded pair of black clothes with colorful secondary themes drawing the attentions of the two men from her side.
"Yesterday, I didn't think that he was ready to be in clothes again from what Judy told me," Maureen said. "Getting closer to human at least."
"So soon," Will said, sporting a smile. "It'll be good to see him without fur."
"It makes one wonder how much fur he has been shedding," Don said.
"Someone like you?" Maureen asked, looking toward Don light heartedly.
"Must be covered in it," Don said, then walked off leaving Will and Maureen who had some rich laughter.
"Now," Maureen said. "It isn't time for you to be up."
"I am excited," Will said. "Couldn't go back to sleep."
"Try," Maureen said.
"I tried," Will said.
"Then why don't you do the morning tending to the garden for Penny?" Maureen asked. "She had a rough day with Debbie yesterday."
Will had a nod.
"Will do," Will said, then walked away carefully watched by Maureen.
Maureen was joined by John coming to her side placing a hand on her shoulder holding on to a dark brown roll of fabric in his other hand.
For ten days the werewolf had not been greeted by the familiar expected sight.
It brought relief.
No one paralyzing it in fear.
No one shoving it into the machine.
No one making it feel the immense pain.
All the werewolf was getting was a plate with the occasionally cooked turkey with lettuce, carrots, and peas. A civilized meal that made the werewolf carefully cut into the fat, very juicy deceased bird that has full of meat. The gravy had been delicious. Different from the legs of meat that had randomly appeared before the werewolf's eyes at certain hours. Even a bowl of potato soup at one point. The soup itself was exquisite. A word that made the werewolf feel warm, good, and sophisticated. Acceptable as a civilized gentle being. Itself. Himself.
It made the werewolf feel in ways that it were a sapient creature capable of properly communicating and control itself over new visitors. Using silverware was a treat (and preferable over using the claws which had become only used out of necessity). A part of the werewolf believed it would never be able to do that, again. It hadn't used in a long time but was carefully cleaned and putting it back on the empty plate after a content stomach. It was healing for the werewolf. The werewolf felt happy with the way things had unexpectedly changed. It wanted the good days never to end but they always did off prior experience. Which is what made those moments so sweet and idyllic.
It was afternoon and the elevator hadn't arrived to the Jupiter 2 campsite. Will sat patiently in the chair facing away from the campsite with his arms folded while tapping his foot on the ground. The Chariot appeared in the distance. From beside Will rested the doctor's belongings on the table neatly folded including the black belt, the grandfather's watch, the swiss army knife, the ring, socks, shoes, neatly folded briefs, and handkerchief. Beside it laid a perfectly light brown roll. The Chariot came to a stop at the campsite.
John's eyes went toward his son then toward the table when coming out of the Chariot.
The elevator appeared with a groan across from Will as the women were tending to the hydroponic garden.
The door opened to let out a creature similar to Sakaar in a white uniform that had a skirt and a strange white hat on the top standing out against the blonde wig and there came another individual similar to her from beside.
"Doctor Sakaar is unable to be here due to determining the remaining treatment. I am Nurse Hathoway," Hathoway said. "This is Nurse Kartharty."
"We require the patient's belongings," Kartharty said.
"What took you so long?" Will asked, as Maureen handed the stack of belongings to Kartharty including the roll.
"We recently had a incident at the hospital," Hathoway said. "There were patients running it for approximately ten of our solar cycles."
"We didn't notice it," Maureen said. "Is Sakaar among the patients?"
Hathoway shook her head.
"Our planet has a different set of orbit," Hathoway explained. "Your visits actually happen every fifteen solar cycles."
"We require to know the patient's favorite activity," Kartharty said.
"Napping," Don said.
"Physical," Hathoway added.
"Sculpting, painting, singing, acting," Don said.
"Recently," Kartharty said.
"Sculpting," Don said.
"Why?" John asked.
"We have evaluated his memories and discovered the werewolf episode occurred after he had been taken out of a cosmic sand pit," Hathoway said. "How and why he got there is unknown but the memory shows us that the last thing the patient had seen was a saucer in the sky after some form of attack that made him run into there."
"The exact nature how he got there is unable to be recovered," Kartharty continued. "He had some serious head trauma that effects his long term memory."
"Doctor Sakaar has recently discovered that he suffered some wounds during the altercation that lead to the infection and the best memory that we have been able to discern remains from before the cosmic sand pit is walking with the young boy," Hathoway gestured toward Will. "We will make sure that any memory pertaining to the werewolf episode or during his treatment will be sealed away."
"And after the treatment?" Maureen asked.
"He will be quickly sedated and removed from the hospital," Hathoway said.
"Smith is going to make that difficult for you," Don said.
"How could he possibly do that?" Kartharty asked.
Don had a laugh.
"After the final operation on his body, the werewolf half will slowly retreat and the human mind will come forward," Hathoway added. "That is the current plan."
"What is the patient's current project?" Kartharty asked.
"It is behind the deutronium drilling rig," John said.
"I can take you there if you like," Don said.
"That will be necessary, Major," Kartharty said. "As we will need to take it for the remainder of his recovery."
"How many of you are visiting this time?" Hathoway said.
"I am out," Judy said. "I am staying with Don."
"That just leave us," John said.
"Just a few more days, just a few more days, just a few more days!" The Robot sang, loudly and colorfully.
The Robinsons laughed going toward the elevator.
The path to Smith's quarters had become a all but familiar path to the Robinsons. The werewolf had took on a more familiar shape and figure. There were only two eyes, two ears, one nose, and features of a human visible from the body that was coated in graying fur. The human yet not quite being retained several werewolf subtle features. The creature was five foot eleven feet tall around the average height of a male. Will placed his hands onto the field once coming close enough to it peering inside.
From within the simulation, the werewolf saw nothing but rocks and golden sand that often shined in it's eyes contrasting against the blue sky and the beating sun that would have normally been making the human sweat but made the werewolf pant. To the Robinsons, they could only see pitch black from around the doctor. There was Hollywood light that allowed them to see the rich golden sand from beneath and the surrounding boulders in the environment. Some of the old skeletons had been removed earlier. The placement of the boulders were clearly different with remains of deep scratches into them ranging in size and length.
"How soon will he be shaved?" John asked.
Hathoway did not reply staring into the room.
"How soon?" Will repeated, looking toward the watcher.
Hathoway looked toward the family.
"After the last treatment," Hathoway said. "Only after you have left. Do you want to see the last treatment?"
"Yes," Maureen said. "we are very certain about it."
"It can sense it is being watched," Hathoway said. "Has the doctor mentioned that to you?"
"Doctor Sakaar hadn't," John said, watching the objects vanish in the room.
The family turned in the direction of the simulation.
"It seems freezing them by terror works a lot better for everyone involved," Hathoway said.
"That should have been obvious in the first place," Maureen said, her eyes pointed square on the watcher.
The werewolf growled looking from side to side as the watchers surrounded it.
"Space werewolves are normally fearless," Hathoway said. "We couldn't have known this was different."
The werewolf moved away from them moving on all fours but they kept on surrounding the creature until they had it standing there immobilized frozen by terror. The suit of armor clamped onto the trembling werewolf that was struggling to move out of its restraint with a cry that sounded a mix of human but animal in nature. The werewolf tried to move from its restraints. Will closed his eyes as the barrier from above began to sink down, the table appearing from beneath the werewolf, the volunteers vanishing before the Robinson's eyes. Will visualized himself floating by the werewolves side then reached his hand out and took his hand.
Noticeably, the trembling from the werewolf stopped. The werewolf's left eye looked over in a searching manner that seemed to be reeking of curiosity. The breathing drew calm and slow. The bright lighting made the werewolf's eyes close in anticipation and tensed up bracing itself together for the expected pain. The dreadful pain. The machine sealed against the table. This time the pain was so sharp and final that the sound speakers were turned off for the simulation that it couldn't be heard. The werewolf squeezed what hand was clinging on tightly with tears forming along the edges of its eyes and the scream was long and drawn out. The top slid off and the restraint let go. The smaller hand's grip on his hand let go.
The humanoid creature covered in fur rolled over landing to the floor visibly trembling. He had pained whimpers with arms wrapped around his shoulders. The werewolf features were no longer being able to be spotted. The room changed in according to his predicament to that of a circular, familiar well tended to tent holding the figure that started to sound like he were crying. The belongings in Kathoway's arms vanished as well.
"Here comes the easy part," Kathoway said. "For us."
From across the tent appeared the rock with a tarp and the brown bundle set beside it.
The werewolf creature felt it were being watched.
Not entirely alone in the tent when it was truly alone.
The creature stood up to his wobbly feet then fell to the floor halfway out of the tent. So weak and tired. In great pain that the creature only wanted to sleep and never wake up. Withdraw all together from the mere face of life aiming a microscopic glass aimed right at him. A little ant suffering under the wrath of a little child on odd moments of the morning. Every morning. The last few months had been nothing but the same routine over and over digging into his very being.
The werewolf creature held its claws up-instead, there were hands covered in fur.
Those were his hands! Hands!
He was seeing his hands covered in fine, dark graying fine fabric that felt soft being brushed against.
What a discovery!
His hand fell as he dozed to sleep snoring away.
AND I CAN CONTROL THEM! Yes! I can! I can!
The creature's eyes bolted open, briefly, out of shock then slowly closed.
When he fell asleep, unlike all those other times when he had, he could sense the presence of a small group of people.
"I will see you soon, Doctor Smith," Will said, confident and reassured.
Will took his hand off the wall then joined his family leaving the room. Once the doors closed behind him the simulation expanded taking up the entire space. The camera moved through the wall following after the Robinsons missing, once more, Sachun was with Bahosky and a watcher taking a turn alongside the corner deep in discussion. There was optimism in the family's demeanor that hadn't been there before a hour ago. A spent that was thought to be well spent for the Robinsons.
Hathoway joined the Robinson into the elevator then closed the door and it reappeared at the campsite.
Hathoway opened the door allowing the family out.
"Do you believe this treatment was acceptable?" Hathoway asked.
John and Maureen turned toward Hathoway.
"Yes," John said. "If there is any more treatments that you think we will object to."
"We will," Maureen finished. "Tell us."
His eyes opened once more then lifted himself half way up.
Who was he? Who did he used to be? He was a doctor. He is a doctor. He was a human. He is a human.
He is a human! Human!
The creature had a name.
The creature has a name.
The others like him called him Smith. That was who he was. Smith was a last name.
What was his first name?
It was night when Judy was sitting in the chair on the bridge.
"Can't get any sleep?" Maureen asked, coming toward the young woman's side.
Judy looked over toward Maureen.
"I can," Judy said, then looked on. "I am just admiring the night sky," she had a smile staring out. "So beautiful."
"It is," Maureen agreed.
"For the last few months, sleep hasn't been kind to me," Judy said. "But now that I know everything is going to be alright. . . it feels different."
"How different?" Maureen asked.
"I feel light," Judy said. "I feel victorious. I feel like I can do anything."
"Keep holding onto that," Maureen said. "Because you can."
Judy looked toward Maureen.
"Have you been sleeping well?" Judy asked.
Maureen shook her head.
"Just the thought," Maureen said. "Will could have been turned into a werewolf from going out there alone searching for Doctor Smith before we found out what had happened to him. Being a werewolf for that long. . ." Maureen was unable to finish the thought.
"Will wouldn't be alone, mother," Judy said.
"I tell myself that," Maureen said, shaking her head.
"He would have bounced back really fast," Judy said.
Maureen looked toward Judy with a small smile.
"Sheltered from the actual hunting practices of a wild animal," Maureen said.
"They would have both bounced back faster from being together," Judy said.
"And I am thankful, every day, that week Will didn't go outside to check on Doctor Smith," her face softened looking toward the night sky. "But the dreams I have. . . ." the comment hung in the air.
"Make the what if look more horrible than it would be," Judy said.
"It does," Maureen said. "Maybe my dreams will ease for me in the next few days."
"It will, mother," Judy said. "It will." As the camera backed away into the elevator.
His name was Zachary. It was Zachary!
Smith reached his hand out searching for a rock.
Smith flopped to his back then held his hand up.
His hand felt along his arm strange unusual shapes that were rounded bumps in his skin.
That wasn't normal.
Were they benign tumors in his skin? Skin cancer? No, it couldn't be skin cancer that was for certian in his medical expertise.
He was a doctor!
His mind wondered over to the fact that he was out in the sun a lot. He brought his arm closer to him then brushed aside the fabric of hair to spot that his skin was gold contrasting against his skin. He dropped his arm feeling rather tired. He had just waken up after all. He crawled on to the ground then grabbed on to a rock that he steadied himself on. Smith moved a leg forward but fell down to his feet. He had spent months as a creature for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to walk on his normal legs. And was very wary.
"Is it me or is the Robot singing?" Maureen asked.
"Not you," John said, looking toward the cheerful Robot.
A strange machine that had started singing for no abrupt reason.
The Robot was a logical being despite his record of showing unexpected qualities.
Of all the things to happen since crash landing on Priplanus, the Robot's character had grown and changed from the expected programming. John remembered the first time that the Robot had been used, a prototype then, as a shining example of what was going to help his family colonize Gamma. Now the shining example had turned into a shining example of what space could do to a machine created by humans who had to take parts from other machines and put it inside to keep it sustaining.
"Tooodaaay is a goood day!" The Robot sang. "Today is a good daaaay! Toodaaay is a good day!"
"Will, what did you do to the Robot?" John asked, looking toward the boy.
"Nothing, dad," Will said. "He has been like this all morning."
"I don't think Robot's are supposed to be spinning sideways," Maureen said.
Will looked over in the direction of the Robot spinning on the edge of his treads when wheeled off into the distance.
"Robot, come back!" Will ran after the Robot.
"Penny," Maureen called. "Did you mess with the Robot?"
"No, mom," Penny said. "I haven't."
"Someone had to have changed the Robot's programming since we got back," John said. "And it wasn't me."
"Don doing that?" Maureen said, startled.
It took some time but Smith learned to walk again then brought himself over to the tarp and resumed his masterpiece with the set of tools that he had left for himself. Assumingly, this traumatic experience was essential to his recovery in every way possible and he hated the restraints more than anything in the world. He spent hours carving into the rock getting the definitive shape in taking a few naps in between. When he awoke, he could feel a bad feeling sinking down. They were preparing to come into his territory. They were going to come into his territory and invade it-
No, no, it wasn't his territory and he wasn't the owner of it.
What he owned was a small tent, sculpting equipment, and a rock.
They were going to come in and do something worse than everything that he had gone through.
Smith got himself up to his feet then unzipped the tent and looked out cautiously.
The only sound that could be heard was the sound of his stomach growling in anger.
He hadn't eaten in awhile.
Smith walked out into the open looking from side to side then drew closer to the statue visibly trembling.
"So, our friends can get out of here at any time?" Sachun asked.
"They are recovering much better than Zachary Smith is," Doctor Calf said.
"Okay," Sachun had a nod. "We will bring them with us in a few hours."
"I think they would appreciate seeing a familiar face first," Calf said.
"Yes," Sachun folded their arms. "You're right about that."
"The patients have done remarkably well with the recovery shifting from meat to vegetables. I am very impressed with how easily you can bounce back," Calf said. "Humanoids normally take longer than that to do so."
"We are a very impressive species," Bahosky said.
"What planet are you from?" Calf asked.
"We can't tell you that," Sachun said.
Calf had a nod looking toward the two.
"I will take you to your friends," Calf said.
A large set of doors were opened before Sachun. Sachun glanced over toward the watcher then walked right into the room to face the eight crew members huddled together in the corner of the room in a makeshift cave looking on toward Sachun. Sachun slowly approached the group then knelt down and held a hand out.
"Come on," Sachun said. "Take my hand," their large hand was directed toward the crewmembers. "I am getting you out of here."
Bahosky knelt down beside Sachun.
"Everyone is getting out of here," Bahosky agreed, then waved at them. "Hey cuz!"
A brown furry hand reached out then took Sachun's and squeezed it making a smile spread on the officer's face. Sachun reached forward and helped up member by member of the crew until everyone were on the ground level surrounding them. Bahosky was the first to hug one of them then that hug became a group hug. One by one they peeled off from the long hug. Sachun lead the group of nine out of the room and down the corridor in a uniformed line. They went into the elevator until it were full. Calf looked toward the completed group. A very successful story stood from beside the watcher. Then Calf pressed forward the leveler with a chunk.